Claremont Hotel in Eastbourne – demolition continues at fire-ravaged hotel

Much of the remains of the Grade II* Listed building were demolished on Friday (February 14) after months of wrangling over the fire-ravaged hotel’s fate.

But when large chunks of the structure crumbled in Storm Ciara, the council said it was ‘unstable and clearly hazardous’, and the decision was made to tear it down.

As the Victorian facade was taken apart piece by piece by a 70 tonne specialist demolition rig, the owners of the Claremont called the loss of the hotel, which faces the pier, a ‘tragedy’.

They said, “The loss of this fine hotel is a tragedy. We are working closely with the local authority and contractors to ensure the complex demolition process runs smoothly.

“We thank the Eastbourne community for their support and patience.”

The arrival of Storm Dennis on Saturday (February 15) meant there were limits to the work which could be done at the site.

This week the council says the ‘highly complex’ demolition work has continued as planned.

The process is being made more complicated by the presence of asbestos in the old building, but also due to its proximity to the Burlington Hotel next door.

In the high winds a section of wall was blown down which has, according to a council spokesperson, further complicated the demolition due to being adjacent to the Burlington.

Roads around the site in Grand Parade remain closed for health and safety reasons and they will not reopen until the work is complete.

This is expected to take a number of weeks, though no official time frame has been announced.

It is understood a statement giving an update will be released on Friday (February 21).

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